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'No. s27,|72. Patented June 20, I899. J. T. BELANGER.

TELEPHONE TOLL APPARATUS.

(Application filed Apr. 3, 1899.)

(No Model.)

WITNESSES.

.Attorneys.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN T. BELANGER, OF'DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FRANK H.CLARK, OF SAME PLACE.

TELEPHONE TOEL APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 627,172, dated June 20,1899.

Application filed April 3, 1899. Serial No. 711,517. (No model.)

To all whom it ntcty concern:

- Be it known that 1, JOHN T. BELANGER, a citizen ofthe United States,residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne, State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Telephone TollApparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the illvention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to toll apparatus for telephone pay-stations andit consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafterfully set forth, and pointed out particularly in the claims.

The object of the invention is to provide means for connection with anordinary subscribers telephone or the instrument at a publicpay-station, whereby the operator at the central station may know that aperson at a telephone or substation wishing to talk with a person at asecond substation has deposited in the apparatus a coin in payment forthe services before connection between said parties is made, and afurther arrangement whereby the operator at the central station mayreadily discharge the coin after receiving the signal caused by itsinsertion in the apparatus so as to leave the signal-circuitopen and theparts in position for 'a-sncceeding operation and at the sametime-relieve the talking-circuit of all disturbance from saidsignaling-circuit while the talking-circuit is in use. This object isattained by the association and arrangement of parts illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a general view of a cabinetcontaining an ordinary telephone and my improved coin-actuated signalingapparatus. Fig.2 is a diagram matical view of the ordinarytelephone-circuit with which my improved signaling-circuit is connectedby means of an induction-coil, together with the operators instrument,and an auxiliary circuit bridged" onto the main line through which ageneratorcurrent may be passed for the purpose of ac tuatingelectrically mechanism to discharge the coin after the signal, causedbythe insertion of said coin, has been conveyed to the operator. Fig. 3is a large detail in section of a portion of the coin-chute and of thepivoted contact-armatures which project into said chute and are adaptedto arrest and support a coin between their opposed ends to complete acircuit therethrough and maintain said coin in contact therewith untildischarged by a movement of said armatnres produced by the energizing oftheir respective magnets.

Referring to the letters of reference, A designates a cabinet,which maybe of any suitable construction and upon which is mounted the ordinarytelephone instrument B. In the inclined top of said cabinet is a slot0., which communicates with the coinchute within the cabinet, saidcabinet also containing the necessary wiring and the signalingmechanism, as hereinafter explained.

The diagram in Fig. 2 illustrates the ordinary telephone instrument B,provided with i the usual line-circuit b I), connected with theoperators instrument 0. It will also be understood that there isconnected with the telephone-line the usual annunciator-cireuit. (Notshown.)

D designates a generator whose line at one end is connected at c withthe telephone-line and at the other end is provided with acontact-terminal d. The line b after passing through the operatorsinstrument is provided with a contact-terminal d.

E designates a switch having at its ends contact-pins 6, adapted toclose the circuit between the contact-terminals d and d of therespective lines. The closing of the circuit at d throws the generatoronto the telephoneline, while the closing of the circuit at cl placesthe operator in circuit with the subscribers instrument or station E. t

F designates the coin-ch11 te, which consists of a vertical waycommunicating with the slot at in the top of the cabinet, through whichthe coin is adapted to be passed. Attached to said chute are theinsulated brackets f. Pivoted to said brackets are the armatures g ofthe electromagnets it. These armatures are provided with angle endportions 0, which project inwardly through slots t in the oppotherein,so, as to arrest said coin in its passage down said chute and hold it incontact with thmopposed ends thereof, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, inwhich view G designates the coin. As will be seen, said coin bridgesbetween the points of said armatures and closes the circuit betweenthem, the complementary portion of which circuit is formed by the linesk, in which is located a battery II, and which forms the primary side ofthe induction-coil I, the secondary side of said coil being formed byline b of the telephone-circuit.

Bridged onto the main line is an auxiliary circuit m, in which areincluded the electromagnets h. i

In the operation of this device the subscriber 13 calls the operator inthe usual manner, when the operator throws the switch E to the answeringor listening position thereby closing the telephone-circuit at d,thetalkingcurrentin said line being supplied by the battery J through theprimary side of the induction-coil I. The operator ascertains thesubstation called, and when connections have been properly madesubscriber at B is requested to place the required coin in the slot a.Upon the insertion of said coin it travels down the chute F and bridgesbetween the inwardly-projecting ends of the armatures g, thereby closingthe circuit formed by the lines 70 70 and inducing a current in thelines I) and b, which causes a click or sound in the operatorsinstrument and serves as a signal to advise her that a subscriber orpatron at instrument B has inserted the coin as requested. The operatorthen moves the switch so as to close the generator-circ uit at d,therebythrowing the generator-current onto the lines I) b and the bridged linem, energizing the electromagnets h, and attracting the armatures g, asshown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, permitting the coin G, which had closedthe circuit between them, to drop into the box K at the bottom of saidchute. The generator-circuit is then opened by returning the switch toits normal position, when the retracting-springs 25 return saidarmatures so as to cause their ends to project into the chute inposition for a succeeding operation. Connection is then properly madebetween the subscriber and the station called by means not shown, but ina manner well understood in the art.

It will be understood thata number of signaling-circuits may be arrangedcontaining varying signals to denote various denominations of coinplaced in the apparatus; but all of such signaling-circuits will beclosed in the manner herein specified and need not therefore beparticularly set forth.

Havingthus fully set forth this invention,

what is claimed is- 1. In a telephone toll apparatus, the combination ofthe telephone-circuit, the signalin g-circuit including a movablecontact, a circuit bridged onto the telephone-circuit independent ofsaid signaling-circuit and containing an electromagnet adapted toactuate said movable contact of the signaling-circuit and means forenergizing said electroinagnet, substantially as set forth.

2. In a telephone toll apparatus, the combination with thetelephone-circuit, of a coinchute, two pivoted armatu res having endportions projecting into said chute from opposite sides, said armaturesforming the open terminals of a signaling-circuit, two electromagnetsincluded in a circuitbridged onto the telephone-circuit, and a switchfor connecting a source of electricity with the circuit of saidelectromagnets to energize said magnets and attract said armatures.

3. In a telephone toll apparatus, the combination with atelephone-circuit, the pivoted armatures projecting into the coin-chutefrom opposite sides and forming the terminals of a normally opensignaling-circuit, two electromagnets adapted to attract said armaturesincluded in a line bridged onto the telephoneline, a source ofelectricityin the limb of the telephone-line, and a switch for closing acircuit including said source of electricity and the bridged linecontaining said electromagnets.

4. In a telephone toll apparatus, the combination with a telephone-line,a coin-chute, two pivoted armatures projecting into said chute fromopposite sides so as to arrest a coin in its passage through said chute,a signalingcircuit of which said armatures form the terminals,electromagnets adapted to actuate said armatures to withdraw their endsfrom said chute, said armatures being included with a source ofelectricity in a normally open circuit of which said telephone-lineforms a complementary portion, and a switch for closing said circuitthrough said source of electricity and said electromagnets.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of twoWitnesses.

JOHN T. BELANGER.

Witnesses:

F. J. PEDDIE, FRANK H. CLARKE.

